News

Rolls-Royce Phantom

For decades Rolls-Royce was considered to make the best cars in the world, but that reputation started to slip in the 1980s and 1990s. Underinvestment and the use of outdated engineering began to take their toll in terms of build quality and reliability. In early 2003, however, the launch of the new Rolls-Royce Phantom sought to reestablish the marque to its rightful place.

With Rolls-Royce now under BMW ownership, the Phantom was assembled in a purpose-built facility in Goodwood, West Sussex, and employed modern design and engineering techniques. Gone was the venerable 6.75 litre V8 unit of previous Rolls-Royce models and in its place a new V12 unit boasting 453bhp. Under its aluminium and composite body was an all-new chassis with air suspension and electronic dampers, and packed beneath its leather and wood interior were state-of-the-art electronics systems.